Suicide

Part 2 of the God Questions series: One of the questions from Sunday's message was, "Will Christians who commit suicide still go to heaven"?

Well, this is highly debated and the Bible is not crystal clear on this issue. Here are some related Bible passages that would seem to caution us away from suicide:

1 John 3:15 - "The way we know we've been transferred from death to life is that we love our brothers and sisters. Anyone who doesn't love is as good as dead. Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know very well that eternal life and murder don't go together."

Romans 5:1-2 "...didn't you realize that your body is a sacred place, the place of the Holy Spirit? Don't you see that you can't live however you please, squandering what God paid such a high price for? The physical part of you is not some piece of property belonging to the spiritual part of you. God owns the whole works. So let people see God in and through your body. "

Ecc. 7:17 "Don't die before your time by being too evil or acting like a fool."

All that being said, I do believe in a loving and merciful God. A God whose grace knows no bounds. It is hard for me to imagine someone who has given their heart to God, and goes through a time of emotional/mental torment, and is denied heaven.

The Bible tells us that only God can judge the intentions of each person's heart. This is a question that will only truly be answered when we get to heaven ourselves. The bottom line is why take a chance? If you struggle with this spiritual issue, ask God to give you a peace about your personal conviction. And if you are in a suicidal situation yourself, get help. Confide in a friend. Speak to your pastor. Talk to your doctor. Don't take a chance!